Barcelona join the race for Marcus Rashford after holding talks with the wantaway Man United star’s representatives over a move this month
- Barcelona are reportedly doing everything they can to secure Marcus Rashford’s signature
- The Manchester United star’s camp has been exploring transfer options
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Barcelona have held meetings with Marcus Rashford’s entourage as the Manchester United forward evaluates his next move.
The England international’s brothers received permission from United earlier this week to hold talks with a number of interested parties, including AC Milan, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.
Premier League clubs, including West Ham, have also shown interest.
The 27-year-old is on loan to United and is open to negotiations. They believe a deal structured similarly to the one for Jadon Sancho’s loan to Borussia Dortmund last year could be beneficial.
One that was performance related, with the suitor paid more based on success and appearances.
United value Rashford at around £60 million and his wages are in excess of £350,000 per week. They are realistic that clubs will not be prepared to match that in Rashford’s current form, so negotiations will focus on who is prepared to shoulder as much of the cost as possible.
Barcelona are reportedly doing everything they can to bring Marcus Rashford to the club in the January transfer window
It is believed that Barcelona, who now have financial flexibility to spend in January, have always been Rashford’s preference but United believe at this stage that interest from AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus is stronger.
These clubs plan to hold further meetings with Rashford’s representatives in the coming days.
United remain in the hunt for a striker, but Tottenham and Juventus are believed to be further advanced in the race for Paris St. Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani.
United head coach Ruben Amorim dropped Rashford after criticizing his performances and actions in training during his first weeks in charge at the struggling Premier League giants.
Rashford has subsequently missed out on a further four Premier League squads and looks set to leave this month with a number of interested European clubs.
AC Milan had explored the possibility of bringing Rashford to Italy temporarily for the rest of the season and now Barcelona are doing the same.
Rashford’s camp and representatives have spoken to Barcelona transfer chiefs and sporting director Deco to decide whether a deal is feasible.
Rashford is being chased by the cash-strapped LaLiga giants who could make a tempting offer to the out-of-form England star
Rashford’s camp and representatives, along with other top clubs, have held talks with Barcelona’s transfer chiefs
A loan move from Old Trafford would depend on how much of his wages United are willing to pay, and the size of the fee if there is an obligation to buy.
Rashford’s brother and agent Dwaine Maynard held talks with Juventus officials on Wednesday and also spoke to Borussia Dortmund executives.
Maynard was also in Italy on Tuesday to hold preliminary talks with Italian giants AC Milan, while both West Ham and Tottenham have also expressed interest.
However, United’s preference is to make a permanent move for Rashford in a £40m deal.
Mail Sport previously revealed that Tottenham are among the clubs with an interest in Rashford, with Spurs keen to strengthen their attacking options and salvage their season despite being the second top scorer in the Premier League.
A loan move from Old Trafford would depend on what proportion of wages Rashford United are willing to pay
Ruben Amorim has not played against Rashford since coming on as a substitute against Nottingham Forest on December 7
Rashford admitted in an impressive interview last month that he is ready for a ‘new challenge’ and spoke of leaving Old Trafford as a ‘when’, not an ‘if’.
Ruben Amorim has not played against Rashford since coming on as a substitute against Nottingham Forest on December 7, although he was back on the bench after last week’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle.
When asked why he was dropped for the Manchester derby, Amorim said: ‘Selection. We try to evaluate everything: training, performance, game performance, involvement with the teammates, bringing out the teammates.
“Everything is on the line when we analyze the players and try to choose them, so that is my selection.”
Rashford has already rejected three offers from Saudi Arabia worth up to £35m a year.
